Practice Makes Perfect

Or at least, deliberate practice makes you pretty darn close. If you stick to it long enough.

That's the key to life, isn't it? Sticking to things. Making habits. Keeping habits. If you want to become something, do something, you have to stick to it long enough that you can actually accomplish something within it.

I suppose that's what school is supposed to be about. Teaching us daily so that we can learn things through incessant drills and annoying schedules. We grow to dread the stuff so much, we hate growing up and learning that we're going to have to do the same mindless stuff to make a living, too. And to learn things outside of work? More annoying schedules forcing us to do dreaded drills.

But if it gets me to my ultimate goal of becoming a world-renowned writer? I'd do just about anything.

In that vein, I'm designing a schedule for my writing, to improve myself. And I need some honest opinions to help me along. What would you say, from this blog, are my weakest points? What skills would it benefit me to study in repeated drills to become a better writer? What would you say I'm the worst at?

I really need honest opinions here. Criticism would be wonderful. I just want to know where to start on my journey to becoming a better writer!

Writing quote of the day/month/year: “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

Some Are Made

The idea that some of us are born great, while others have to find their own way to achieving that has long fascinated me. Because it begs an interesting question: What could I do to become great?

Anyone out there who is reading this, you may remember me as that girl who used to blog. For a little while. Didn't quite make it, though. And, honestly, that seems to have been the story of my life. I'm the girl that started to do something great. And then stopped, never quite making it to actual greatness.

Well, I stopped blogging because I met a boy at work. And suddenly everything I had always centered my life around didn't seem to matter. All that seemed to matter was that boy. I fell in love with him, I obsessed over him, and I did everything I could think of to get him to return those feelings.

But he didn't.

Oh, he said things like he loved me, he just wasn't IN love with me. And that we'd always be good friends. And he was so thankful to have me in his life. And we would have been together, if he didn't have to move away and to go to college. He made a lot of promises even when he left. Promises like he wouldn't actually leave me, we'd see each other a lot, we'd talk on the phone, we'd stay in touch.

And then we didn't.

It wasn't a complete abandonment. Not at first. At first, he talked to me quite well. We did the whole friendship from afar thing. But then he started to drift on me. Stopped talking about anything that mattered. Would only text me back if I asked questions about the weather or if I should visit a club that week or not.

I texted him one day, telling him how I needed to talk to him and I thought I might have broke my hand. I waited 2 days to hear back from him, and didn't get a single reply. Finally, I asked him if he even cared about me at all. I got this long-winded reply about how he was just too busy to give me anything but the bare minimum. I angrily replied that that wasn't the bare minimum; that was absolutely nothing. The bare minimum would have been a text message asking if I was okay.

I haven't heard from him since.

I've never felt heartbreak before. And it hit me in a big way. It was worse than I'd even imagined it to be. I sunk so deep into depression, the world seemed dark and bleak. My days were filled with thoughts of self-loathing. I bombarded myself with negative thoughts of how I obviously wasn't good enough. Because, if I had been good enough, he wouldn't have left me. He would have returned my feelings. It would have been different.

But that isn't how it works, is it? Sometimes people just don't return your feelings. Even if they say they do.

About a month after this, I woke up. I looked around me, at the life I was leading, and thought to myself: "No wonder he left you; who'd want to stay with someone like this?" I hated myself for what I'd become. I hated my life.

But I've always had a saying I'd say to other people if they asked my advice on things like this: if you really hate your life that much, get up and change it or stop complaining and learn to enjoy it. Throwing yourself a pity party and wasting your energy on negative thoughts gets you and the world no where.

That advice came to my mind all of the sudden. And the thought of that boy returning and seeing me sunk inside the dark, bleak hole that I had allowed my life to become galvanized me into action. I refused to let him ever see me like that.

Which brings me back to the quote at the top of this page.

I have finally come to a conclusion in my life. I want to be great. I obviously wasn't born that way. At least, not in the ways that I wanted to be. But I could MAKE myself be great.

And that has been my mission ever since. To change the parts of myself and my life that I don't like, and finally become the person I've dreamed of being since I was 5 years old. And now, over 2 months into the change, it isn't even about the boy anymore. It's about me. It's about the person I can become and the dreams I can achieve if I just set my mind to it. To look at my life now, it's shocking to think that only 2 short months ago I was depressed and miserable.

I never want to go back to that place.

So, I've created a new blog. I could have continued my old one here, but in the spirit of a fresh start, I thought it best to begin with a clean slate. Thus Some Are Made was born.

If any of you are still listening to this old, ratty blog, I'd love to see you again. Why don't you stop on by? Check it out here.

Be My Guest, Be My Guest, Be My Guest

 

Guest Posting is the smartest thing you can do for yourself, if you're a blogger. Have a guest poster on your blog, or guest post on someone else's blog, and your ratings will go up. That's because guest posting is advertising and good business in general. You're telling your readers that you're fascinating enough for someone else to want to write on your blog or to allow your content to appear on their blog.

It's also tons of fun. Plus, it forges friendships you might never have otherwise made. I, personally, got to guest post for Kathy on her blog, Bliss Habits, this week. It was tons of fun, and she is a delightful person to work with.

If you'd like to check out my posting about Creating Worlds, click HERE.

I suggest everyone check out Kathy's site, in fact. It's concept is fantastic, the layout is gorgeous, and Kathy herself is incredibly personable and friendly. The whole concept of Bliss Habits, in case you're wondering, is about cultivating bliss in Kathy's life. She uses 13 habits that she concentrates on each week to help her in cultivating that bliss in her life: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.


I also suggest you all grab a guest posting somewhere as soon as you can. And offer for other people to guest post on your blog, if you can.


Speaking of which, if anyone is at all interested in guest posting on Kyla's Not Normal, I'd be happy to look at any kind of postings you'd like to send me. Just contact me at my email address, kylarucci@gmail.com.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone who has guest posted in the past could share their experiences in the comments below. I was terrified of guest posting before Kathy talked me into it. I'm sure other people feel the same as I did, and hearing how the experience was for you may help them break into the unknown.


Hope you all are having a great week and that this post helps a few people break into the delightful world of guest posting. Have a great day, and happy writing!

Writing quote of the day: "An old racetrack joke reminds you that your program contains all the winners' names.  I stare at my typewriter keys with the same thought."  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Do You Like It Fast...or Slow?

Blogging, that is (had you going there for a minute, huh?). Are you a fast blogger, or a slow one?

I didn't know there was such a thing as fast or slow blogging, until I discovered a very interesting post on the subject over on Anne R. Allen's blog. She talks about how so many bloggers out there start off excited and thrilled to be blogging, blog every day for a month or two, then their interest begins to wane and they stop blogging so much, only popping onto their own blogs to apologize for their absences every once in a while. After enough apologizing, the blogger often times burns out and quits blogging altogether.

Does this sound familiar yet? I am probably the worst at this, myself. I've been on here since last June (closing in on a year now), but most of my posts are apologies for being gone so long. I am determined not to just be another blogger who quits and lets the blog die. This is MY blog, and I plan on making it last until and after I'm published, thank you very much.

So, fast blogging (blogging every day) has not been a hit for me. I'm just not regular enough, and inconsistency is the worst sin of them all in the blogosphere. But maybe slow blogging...

What is slow blogging? It's a blogging movement styled after the "slow food" movement (as opposed to McDonalds-style fast food). In this movement, you don't try to blog every day, but instead attempt to blog once a week or even once a month on a designated day. The idea is based on the concept that quality is superior to quantity, and if you blog less often, you'll probably spend more time and effort choosing your words and subject carefully.

I like the idea, myself. I think it might be just what the doctor ordered, in fact. How about you? Do you like it better when the blogs you read are done fast? Or does slow blogging seem easier to keep up with? Do you think it would help your blog develop slow and steady, or are you great at the fast and furious pace?

I'd love to hear your opinions. However, I have made the decision for myself. Henceforth, this blog shall be updated every Saturday on a weekly basis...

Here's hoping I can do it! Anyway, thanks so much for reading and I hope you all have a great day! Happy writing!

Writing quote of the week: "The ablest writer is only a gardener first, and then a cook:  his tasks are, carefully to select and cultivate his strongest and most nutritive thoughts; and when they are ripe, to dress them, wholesomely, and yet so that they may have a relish."  ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs

 So, I've just spent the last few days catching up on my backlog of blogs I follow updates. They really stacked up while I was gone. Who knew being absent from the internet for less than a week would cause so much work?

But I discovered something as I talked and commented and read. I have few writing blogs to read and get advice from. So, if any of you out there know of some writers' blogs I should check out, I'd dearly appreciate it if you could share them with me. Post any recommendations in a comment, please.

To make today's post easy and stress-free, I'm going to make a list of blogs I like under different subjects. There will be writing blogs, personal blogs, homesteading/farming blogs, fashion blogs, or weird/fascinating information blogs. Check them out, if any of these things are something you're into:

Writing Blogs:

Nathan Bradsford, Author -- Blog from an author and former literary agent, giving some very interesting and in-depth advice to writers everywhere. I can't help but think he's a genius.

To Write A Better Story -- Blog about a writer who also is struggling to make her way in the write world. She's a great inspiration and I love the tidbits she posts.

Personal Blogs:

365 Days to Forever -- Blog about an inspiring and sweet lady working toward her goals for personal enrichment.

Alice's Bucket List -- Blog about a15-year-old girl suffering from terminal cancer. Her zeal for life and determination to be happy despite (or maybe because of) her circumstances is nothing short of incredible in my eyes.

artist's charm -- Blog about a girl who richly enjoys life and/or rants about it, depending on her mood.

Homesteading/Farming Blogs:

Choosing Simplicity, More Than Just Survival -- Blog about this family's struggle to survive while scrapping "unnecessary" luxuries most of us take for granted and living a simpler, more natural life.

Willing Hands Organic Farm -- Blog about a family farming organically on a small plot of land.

Fashion Blogs:

Beautifully Invisible -- This girl is wildly popular for a reason! She runs a great blog, and I am totally going to steal her comment form one of these days.

we are large, people -- Blog about the fashion of a very fascinating lady. She gave me some great advice on blogging and I have appreciated her ever since.

Weird/Fascinating Information Blogs:

Discovering Alpine Birds -- It hasn't been updated in a long time, but this blog is all about the wildly interesting habits of birds. It has gorgeous pictures and very odd information, so I love it.

Freethought Radio -- Weirdest blog I've seen with very, very short posts that link to very, very long articles about whatever they find is interesting or perversely funny in our world. I LOVE IT!

I know I missed quite a lot of people, and I promise to come back to them later. But today, I'm all linked out. Have a great day, everyone. All there's left to say is our writing quote of the day:

"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself. -- Charlie Chaplin"

Okay, so it isn't really a "writing" quote, but it's a great quote for writing, nonetheless. Well, that's all she wrote. Talk to you later! 

P.S. Don't forget those recommendations for writing blogs, please and thank you!